Author: Jeremy Candelas and Nicole Biton
It was announced this morning that President Elizabeth Garrett passed away last night following her difficult battle with colon cancer. The university president was just 52.
The news was announced by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Robert Harrison, in an email to the Cornell community. In it, Harrison described Garrett as “the quintessential Cornellian,” describing her as a “vibrant and passionate leader.”
washingtonpost.com
The news comes just one month after her announcement that she would undergo aggressive treatment following her cancer diagnosis. Her sudden loss has left the Cornell community shocked and shaken.
President Garrett, the 13th President of Cornell University, was its first female President. Although she had only begun her time as President in July 2015–just eight months ago– Garrett had already made a significant impact on our campus that is sure to leave a lasting legacy.
Truly, President Garrett was the “quintessential Cornellian” that Harrison described her as. During her time at Cornell, Garrett made it a point to act on student concerns regarding issues such as food insecurity, with the approval of Anabel’s Grocery, and working to improve housing issues across campus for both graduate and undergraduate students, among other issues. Garrett dedicated herself to improving Cornell, often making difficult decisions and enacting administrative shakeups in search of her goals to improve the university.
dailytrojan.com
President Garrett’s career prior her tenure at Cornell is also marked by significant achievement. Having received a BA in History from the University of Oklahoma, and a law degree from the University of Virginia, President Garrett served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and for Court of Appeals Judge Stephen F. Williams. Following that, she was a law professor at the University of Chicago and, later, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Southern California.
President Garrett will be remembered as a passionate, and dedicated leader throughout her life. Always striving for improvement, Garrett was an inspiration to us all. Her life and her time as President have ended much too soon.
cornell.edu
This afternoon, at 4:00 PM, Cornell will mark the memory of President Garrett with a moment of silence, followed by chimes–students will be gathering on the Arts Quad at this time in remembrance of President Garrett. Harrison invited the Cornell community to join in this moment, and stated that an on-campus memorial gathering will soon be announced. Additionally, some of the students involved in organizing the “Get Well Soon” card for President Garrett are planning a condolence card to be given to President Garrett’s family, to be signed at the gathering.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the friends and family of President Garrett, and all of the Cornell community in this harrowing time. While her time here was short, we are extremely grateful for her ceaseless service and dedication to improving our campus over the past few months, and she will be dearly missed.
